Drinki-Leaks

Political cables and sidecars at Rontoms.

IMAGE: nickstokesdesign.com

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Following WikiLeaks’ release of diplomatic cables in
November 2010, a media beast was born that’s still rearing its head in
the national news. Now the WikiLeaks circus is coming to Portland, but
it isn’t some NPR segment you’re about to hear.

East
Burnside watering hole Rontoms isn’t the first place you think to go
for topical, thought-provoking discussion, but that’s where Oregon
Humanities is hosting its Think & Drink WikiLeaks event
Thursday, Feb. 24. University of Oregon journalism professor Peter
Laufer takes a break from his research on butterfly trafficking and UC
Berkeley African literature Ph.D. candidate Aaron Bady sets his
dissertation aside to share with Portland all they know about the wild
worlds of national security, transparency and new media. Journalist
Laufer covered American soldiers in Iraq before his recent turn to
butterflies on the black market. He calls WikiLeaks “a fascinating
manifestation of the kinds of tools journalists have been using since
they started drawing on cave walls.” And when Bady’s not teaching, he’s
posting his insight into current events on his blog
zunguzungu.wordpress.com. His Nov. 29 post about WikiLeaks founder
Julian Assange went viral and Bady was deemed “The Unknown Blogger Who
Changed WikiLeaks Coverage” by The Atlantic. Their interests are
eclectic, but they’re ready to speak their mind about WikiLeaks and,
with the help of the Rontoms’ bartenders, make your head spin.

You know all those crazy saxophone lines
that dotted James Brown’s hits in the 1960s? They were played by this
guy. Now a certifiable funk and jazz legend, Parker hits town for what
might be the most fun show of Jazz Fest. Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside St., 225-0047. 9:30 pm. $25 all-ages balcony, $30-$40 seated 21+ section.

Nostalgia is back, kids! Wild Nothing and
Age Vidoda don’t really sound alike (one is a twee indie-pop outfit,
the other sounds like the Cure circa 1984) but they share a love of the
’80s, and that’s the important thing here. Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison St., 239-7639. 8:30 pm. $10 advance, $12 day of show. 21+.